SkiCat's Dream Build: [Saving The] Planet 180 - The Making Of An Epic Aquacultured Mixed Reef

[SkiCatTX]

I hear ya! We're all destined for that phase lol. Just came out of it myself. Turf algae turned into cyano and then diatoms haha. Finally just stepping back out of it myself. Hope it clears up best it can!

I found out that after cleaning the gravel over and over, it just grows back within a week or two...but if I leave it, it just gets to a certain point and stays there...so if you embrace the green lawn look, it isn't that bad...

But, if it starts to kill coral, or grow over something I like, it's out of there...

The rocks all seem fine though, that phase passed a few months ago...

 

[SkiCatTX]

Mai Tai Cyphastrea in the center, with several tiny anemones nearby, an urchin, and that's a tiny Green Slimer at the top (it died back to the plug, but seems to be coming back).

 

[SkiCatTX]

The few named acros are showing a slight deviation from "brown", but it's something, and they are growing:

ARC Strawberry Spath

TCK New Dragon

ARC Jaw Faker

 

[SkiCatTX]

Two of the three Rock Flower Anemones that are still around from the old days. Also a good example of the lawn I'm growing...only on the sand though...

 

[SkiCatTX]

I tried hard to get more pictures of the other fish...but every one of them looks like this:

"Hey, watcha' doin'?"

"Check out my 'I'm dead' coloring!"

"Hi, me again...got any food?"

I mean, I could just post the entire roll of fish pics with the Rabbit Fish somewhere blurry in front over whatever....

 

[Flameback Pair]

Two of the three Rock Flower Anemones that are still around from the old days. Also a good example of the lawn I'm growing...only on the sand though...

@SkiCatTX I saw this sand stirrer from Printed Reef. You might consider.

 

[SkiCatTX]

@SkiCatTX I saw this sand stirrer from Printed Reef. You might consider.

Hmm, very interesting, I'll have to check that out...

 

[SkiCatTX]

While not overly interesting, my Purple (Top) and Green (Bottom) Pavona are chugging along very slowly. Unfortunately, the color doesn't really show up in the image.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Stylo Day...

Purple Stylo - Right, Miyagi Tort - Left

Turquoise/Green imported from my previous tank

Mystery Blue Stylo - It is blue, but with the filter, it doesn't show here. It was a packed-in extra from a previous order with no label...

 

[Flameback Pair]

Stylo Day...

Purple Stylo - Right, Miyagi Tort - Left

Turquoise/Green imported from my previous tank

Mystery Blue Stylo - It is blue, but with the filter, it doesn't show here. It was a packed-in extra from a previous order with no label...

@SkiCatTX I love Styloporas. Looks like bones.

 

[SkiCatTX]

@SkiCatTX I love Styloporas. Looks like bones.

There are certainly colorful and hardy. Way easier SPS than Acros for sure.

 

[SkiCatTX]

I managed to get a few pics of the fish today, using a tripod and my Apple Watch to remotely trigger the camera. Still, out of about 100 pictures, I managed just a few with reasonably non-blurry fish in them...

Powder Blue Tang

 

[SkiCatTX]

Blue Hippo Tang

 

[SkiCatTX]

Two-Spot Bristletooth Tang - Only just starting to get a bit of red, though it mostly appears either black or brown in most light.

 

[SkiCatTX]

I got a new iPad, so rather than sell the old one, I decided to mount it on the wall...

I was tired of always needing to go find my phone when I want to do something in the tank, now I just go up to the display. Way easier...though it's still annoying having to change to all the various apps...

 

[SkiCatTX]

Return flow has been getting lower, and it's been almost a year, so I decided to clean the return pumps. It was great since I have two, and can pump to both side with only one, so I was able to clean one at a time and keep the tank running.

The flow is now almost double before the cleaning. I can now run the pumps at partial power again!

 

[GoVols]

Ski,
Things are looking good in here.

Did you get your Hydros 4 controller straightened out?

 

[SkiCatTX]

Ski,
Things are looking good in here.

Did you get your Hydros 4 controller straightened out?

Yes, they finally released a version of the software that allows the WaveEngine to be part of a collective. It's all working as a single system now, though it only controls the two Klir rollers, an auto feeder, and the wave pumps. My Apex runs everything else except the lights...which have their own system...such a pain that everyone can't just get along...

 

[SkiCatTX]

I attended the first MARSH Reef Currents swap recently and got a few more corals. Most of them are doing pretty well and will get placed here shortly. Unfortunately, as usual, a few didn't make the dipping and observation period.

Here they are when I first placed them after cutting, dipping, and re-plugging them in the QT tank:

And here they are now in the display on a rack:

On the rack, they are/were:
-- Far Row: X-Green Goblin, Orange Monti Setosa (formerly Digi?), JF Snow Cap Monti, JF Brain Freeze
-- Near Row: X-JF Solar Flare, JF Caroliniana, TSA Princess Peach, TRI Ice Blue Leptastrea, Rouge Milli

They are clearly a bit stressed, but hopefully will color back up in the next few months...

 

[SkiCatTX]

And here are some cleaned-up phone pics of some of them under normal tank lighting with orange and yellow filter:

Princess Peach (I swear this was brightly colored the day it came home)

Ice Blue Leptastrea

Orange Monti Setosa